The present invention broadly relates to the art of selvedge braiding, and, more specifically, is directed to a new and improved construction of apparatus for forming leno selvedges in weaving machines or looms.
Generally speaking, the apparatus of the present invention is of the type having a stationary sun wheel and two planet wheels which are connected therewith, diametrically arranged, and capable of rotating about their own rotational axis in a direction opposite to their direction of rotation about the rotational axis of the sun wheel. The transmission ratio between the sun wheel and the planet or planetary wheels amounts to 2:1. Bobbin holders for thread bobbins are provided. Also, there are arranged on the planet wheels thread guide eyelets eccentrically with respect to the axes of the planet wheels. These thread guide eyelets, when dispositioned at their greatest spacing from one another, are situated in a plane extending essentially through the central axis of the planet wheels.
Now selvedge braiding apparatus of this general construction is already known to the art from U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,978, granted May 23, 1967. In that prior art construction the thread bobbins are secured on the planet wheels and participate in the circulatory and rotational movement thereof. Since the thread bobbins only can be relatively small, by virtue of the fact that they are secured on the planet wheels or gears, their yarn or thread supply is quickly exhausted. This in turn requires rapid successive changes of the thread bobbins. Also, by virtue of the aforementioned attachment of the thread bobbins at the planet wheels, the construction of the entire apparatus is constricted in a manner such that there is no possibility of arranging any thread monitoring elements on the apparatus.